Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Winter Paralympics in Beijing in a shocking u-turn taken 24 hours after they got the greenlight to compete, because the invasion of Ukraine enters its second week.
Yesterday, the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) stated the nations may compete in the event that they performed as impartial athletes with colours, flags and symbols eliminated.
This morning that modified, and athletes from each nations will now be banned from the worldwide competitors, which opens tomorrow and closes March 13.
The transfer got here after overwhelming strain from nations who believed the preliminary IPC resolution didn’t ship a robust sufficient sign to Russia and Belarus.
“In the last 12 hours, an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us,” stated IPC President Andrew Parsons.
“What is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the Games.”
The International Olympic Committee had earlier this week urged sporting federations to ban Russia and Belarus or, if unattainable, discover methods round this resembling altering their names and eradicating symbols.
The IPC subsequently joins sports activities together with soccer, athletics, basketball and hockey which have imposed blanket bans on Russians and Belarusians.
Multiple TV content material corporations have stopped promoting exhibits to Russia and main U.S. studios have pulled theatrical distribution.
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